To some, smoothness is merely concept. But for the all-new Ruby and Roubaix, it was clearly the driving design concept on the whole project, and the result is a pair of bikes like no others before them.

From the outset of development, Specialized partnered with McLaren Applied Technologies to create the smoothest performance bicycles on the planet. Specialized shattered the mold, but really, the work is so revolutionary that it's fair to say there's been no mold to break.

Every crack, every pothole, every rough patch and bit of chip seal—the off-limits boneshakers to the smoothest homestretches—it isn’t resigned to just a single day in France, it’s made for here, there, and everywhere.

Who said that performance and comfort don't mix? It sure wasn't Specialized, because the all-new Ruby Elite combines the two in one seamless, unprecedented package. The frame is among the lightest that they've ever made, and it's been constructed from the superlative FACT 10r carbon fiber.

Its stiffness levels are also off the charts, and compared to the SL4 iteration you'll experience a faster, and more efficient geometry. Through some engineering sorcery Specialized has managed to keep the same fit, feel, and position that we've all come to love from the SL4 iteration. Of course, you're probably thinking, "get on to the suspension thing up front." Specialized calls it Future Shock, and essentially, it's a piston in the head tube with 20mm of travel.

According to Specialized, this technology was developed in partnership with McLaren Applied Technologies, and the result of this are a host of drastic performance improvements, namely in the vertical compliance department. Specialized found that focusing on vertical compliance, instead of fork splay, meant improving smoothness, speed, and comfort in one fell swoop.

Of all the bikes tested with the Specialized Rolling Efficiency Model, the new Ruby outperforms anything on the market.